68 A XKW FLOEA OF 



CHAPTER III. 



PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY, BY J. G. BAKER. 



Under this head we propose to go through, one by one, the dis- 

 tricts founded upon the river-drainage as they stand in the map, 

 and to attempt to describe briefly the most salient features of 

 their physical geography. It is not without considerable hesita- 

 tion that we lay before the members of the Club a summary of 

 the notes which we have had, from time to time, the opportunity 

 of making upon this head, hesitation arising from the feeling 

 that a large proportion of them are better acquainted with the 

 country about which we are writing than we are ourselves. But 

 we hold strongly to the opinion that it adds very much to the 

 interest and value of a local Flora, that the physical characters . 

 of the tract of country to which it relates should be explained, 

 side by side with the enumeration of the plants ; and we expect, 

 of course, that this paper will meet the eyes of many to whom 

 our wide sweeps of moor, lowland denes, streams and fields, 

 and long line of craggy coast are ideals unrealized, and we 

 trust also that it may help to recall pleasant memories of by- 

 gone excursions in the minds of those to whom these are amongst 

 things familiar. 



The total area of iN'orthumberland is 1952 square miles. Its 

 greatest length, from north to south, is 60 miles; its breadth, 

 from Tynemouth to the Irthing, 54 miles; but in the northern 

 part, opposite "Wooler, not more than 24 miles. The area of 

 Durham is 973 square miles ; its greatest length 48 miles, and 

 its breadth 39 miles. The total area of the two is 2925 square 

 miles, which is about one- seventeenth of England exclusive of 

 "Wales, and one-thirtieth of Britain, exclusive of Ireland. 



The towns of ^Northumberland are twelve in number — in the 

 first rank Newcastle, then !N"orth Shields and Tynemouth, to all 

 intents one, then the three old centres of feudal times, Alnwick, 

 Morpeth, and Hexham; the others, Allenton, Belford, Belling- 

 ham, Haltwhistle, Eothbury, and Wooler, small country towns, 

 of an almost entirely agricultural character. The towns of Dur- 

 ham are thirteen — Durham, Bishop Auckland, Barnard Castle, 



